I'v been trying to cut back my basils and catmint, but they are so full of bees right now I can't bear to. I don't have any idea where the bees are nesting-it's pretty barren up here on the hight desert. There seem to be a lot more bees this year than last.
In My Garden Blog:
Southwestern Deserts
November 5, 2009
By
Cathy Cromell,
Phoenix, AZ
Holes in a tree stump create nesting sites for native bees.
Native Bees in the Garden
European honeybees and their kin, the Africanized "killer" bees, garner media attention, but many other fascinating native bees are hard at work in the landscape. Arizona authors Stephen L. Buchmann and Gary Paul Nabhan write in The Forgotten Pollinators (Island Press, 1996), "It is estimated that some 1,500 bee species occur within the arid sub-tropical deserts and semi-arid uplands within an hour's drive from Tucson."
Although honeybees live in large groups, which they are ready to defend if threatened, 90 percent of bee species are docile, solitary creatures: a gardener would have to work especially hard to get stung by one of them. As long as you have no allergic reactions, do not fear solitary bees in your yard, while they gather pollen and nectar and locate safe places to raise young. Following are two common bees that you may spot:
Carpenter Bees
These burly linebackers seem to defy the laws of gravity and aerodynamics. About the size of a grape with wings, their metallic bluish-black bodies are easy to see, and hear, as they chug from flower to flower. One species has a yellow male. Unlike some bee species who use existing holes in dead wood for nesting sites, carpenter bees can excavate their own.
Leafcutter Bees
You'll probably notice a leafcutter's handiwork before you spot the smallish grey or black bee. In spring, females neatly snip semi-circle-shaped bits of foliage or petals, which they curl between their legs and carry off to line their nests. Leafcutters seem to prefer smooth, thin plant material, such as bougainvillea leaves and rose petals, but their limited snipping doesn't harm the plant. They collect pollen on bristle-like hairs on their abdomens.
Make a Bee Dwelling
Unfortunately, as native desert habitat disappears to development, potential nesting sites also decline. Bees are important links in the Southwest's ecosystem, pollinating native plants that a broad range of creatures rely on for food or shelter. You can help native bees by creating these simple nesting sites in your landscape:
Some bees burrow underground to build nests, taking advantage of a somewhat cooler, moister environment. Allow a few out-of-the-way patches of bare earth rather than a solid cover of gravel mulch or grass. Place an upside-down clay pot near a garden bed. A bee can navigate through the drainage hole to burrow into the protected soil, while the pot serves as a reminder for you not to dig there.
Many bees construct their nests in beetle or borer tunnels in dead wood. If you can leave a dead tree standing on your property, it provides housing for all kinds of intriguing desert life, including bees. Although a dead tree is not practical for every landscape, a stump with holes works fine.
Build a bee house by drilling holes of various sizes in a block of scrap wood. Different species will be attracted to different sized holes. Try 1/4", 5/16" and 3/8"for leafcutters, 3/4" for larger carpenter bees. Holes should be 3 to 5 inches deep for leafcutters, 8 to 10 inches deep for carpenters. (Holes should be closed on one end.) Secure the bee block to a shady, dry location such as a tree or under the eave of a building.
Provide a bundle of dead branches. If there are no insect tunnels in the wood, drill some holes.
Allow the thick, woody flower stalks on agave and desert spoon to remain on the plant. Or, cut the stalk at its base and poke it into the soil elsewhere in the landscape or lean it against a fence.
Join the discussion!
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Jane Alkaline | November 5, 2009 | 6:10PM
Deb Sparrow | November 6, 2009 | 2:14AM
You might read John Alcock. He has some nice accounts of specific insects and their lives including the lives of various bees. His story of Digger bees huddling together on the spent flower stalks of brittlebush is very nice.
Deb Sparrow | November 6, 2009 | 2:19AM
You might read John Alcock. He has some nice accounts of specific insects and their lives including the lives of various bees. His story of Digger bees huddling together on the spent flower stalks of brittlebush is very nice.
www.daleharvey.co.nz | November 8, 2009 | 3:41PM
Apologies for being obtuse, but in regard to urbanization encroaching on bee habitates: being a nature-lover I see the same thing happening with so many other species including cats and birds. So I read with some amusement the latest human invention of torture where we can now force a cat to wear this large blue plastic dangling bib meant to stop them from catching birds! Only 'civilized' humans would think like this. But what I found inspiring was that 'research' suggested that 19% of cats tested could still catch birds even when hampered by the giant plastic bangling blue bib, Go Nature! P.S. Try feeding cats raw minced chicken and they will leave the birds alone, probably at least 81% of the time.
Kathleen Gilligan | December 16, 2009 | 11:28AM
Thanks for your rundown on native bees. I am still learning the flora and fauna out here in Portal. The variety is amazing. I have even seen some green ones. I take their picture when I can get them to sit still long enough, in hopes of someday identifying them. This spring, I bought a honey melon sage and planted it outside my bedroom window. Back in NY, I kept HMS as a tame little mint that's nice for tea. Well, one morning late this summer I woke up and my little HMS was suddenly huge and covered with red flowers! It was also full of humming birds and enormous jet black bumblebees. The bees were about half the size of a small hummingbird. I have since seen them in the toloache as well. I am wondering if they could be your carpenter bees, or something else? They are very mild mannered. I was thinking of cutting the plant down for the season, but even after the first snow, the bees were still using it, so I have left it up for awhile. Oh, and if we are to provide habitat for bees, let's not forget a water source. A container with some kind of screening over the top, touching the water allows bees to drink without falling in, and the water doesn't evaporate immediately. Thanks again for your garden blog. I really enjoy your articles.
Cathy Cromell | December 16, 2009 | 7:44PM
Nice to hear from you Kathleen. I was thinking about your area’s peaceful environs just the other day as I was contemplating a getaway! Portal’s Southwestern Research Station offers the Bee Course workshop for professionals to help them ID bees. It lists a couple comprehensive professional keys that might help you if you can lay your hands on them. I thought this line from the page [http://research.amnh.org/iz/beecourse/2009BEE.HTM] was worth noting: "The Southwestern Research Station is centered amid the richest bee fauna in North America,…" No wonder you are seeing so many intriguing bees around your landscape! I’m not an expert on bee ID, but Pollinator Paradise contains photos of a greenish pollinating bee from OR/CA. Maybe he has local relatives. The page also has lots of links to other bee sources including green sweat bees. www.pollinatorparadise.com/Solitary_Bees/SOLITARY.HTM I’m not aware of a comprehensive Arizona photo guide to bee ID, but would love to hear about one. The New Mexico Native Bee Pollinator Project refers to a bee list of 500 species from 1906 that is currently being updated. Finally, Bug Guide [http://bugguide.net/node/view/8267/bgpage] contains lots of bee photos that might help you ID. You can also submit photos requesting ID on Bug Guide. Loved your water idea for bees!